Jimmy Stewart Sheds His Western Persona for This Groundbreaking Legal Drama

Was there anything Jimmy Stewart couldn't do? The short answer: of course not! How could you even hypothetically ask? The longer answer: no, but different times in Stewart's career were marked by certain expectations. Before the 1950s, Stewart's presence in a film evoked a sense of safety; here was someone who almost always played a good man. Flawed ones, certainly, but they were ultimately stalwart in their convictions. Idealized as a pillar of societal morality thanks to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life, and Harvey, the '50s saw the already mythical Stewart deliver radically different contributions to the cinema landscape. He found a niche within the Western genre, which allowed him to broaden his cultural image with roles that oozed moral ambiguity.